9-Year-Old Survives Car Crash, Hikes to Get Help for Her Dying Father

A 9-year-old California girl survived a car crash early this morning and scaled a cliff in darkness to get help for her father, who did not survive the wreck.

Authorities said Alejandro Renteria, 35, was driving down the Sierra Highway near Acton, Calif., around 1 a.m., when he apparently lost control of the vehicle, which rolled 200 feet down a canyon and landed at the bottom of a ravine.

His daughter, who was not named in the accident report, climbed out of the vehicle and hiked through difficult terrain in order to get to a nearby home, according to a statement from the California Highway Patrol.

When no one answered the door at the home, the girl returned to check on her father before she "hiked up a steep embankment in a very dark and threatening environment" to get help, authorities said.

A passing motorist spotted the child and alerted authorities to the scene, where Renteria was pronounced dead.

Authorities suspect alcohol played a role in the crash and said the girl told them she and her father had been returning home from a party.

The child was taken to the Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, ABC News station KGO-TV reported, where she was treated for minor bruises and a cut to her cheek and was said to be in good condition.